20 I ICT TODAY
Physical security plays a vital role in today's economy, and it is a fundamental component of any effort to mitigate
and reduce risk to ensure the necessary level of protection of life, property, and business continuity. Depending
on the type of asset being protected and the associated level of exposure or vulnerability, businesses, facilities
and critical infrastructure sites have some degree of risk or threat.
Developing a comprehensive mitigation program requires extensive planning and a thorough understanding
of security needs, existing conditions, threats, and vulnerabilities, as well as proper identification of assets at risk
that need to be evaluated before selecting the appropriate technology and the related cabling infrastructures.
In today's litigious society, assets encompass much more than an organization's physical property and products.
They also include intellectual property, brand reputation, personnel, and daily operations as part of an
organization's total vulnerable assets.
